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Ritchie W. Taylor
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For over 24 years, Ritchie has counseled business clients throughout each organization’s life cycle from formation to successful exit. He serves as general counsel to numerous emerging and middle market businesses across all industries with a particular concentration in representing clients in the franchising, retail, hospitality, home services, and education sectors.
As the leader of the largest franchise law practice in the Carolinas and one of the top franchise firms nationally, Ritchie represents franchisor clients as their strategic advisor through all phases of growing and protecting their brand. He represents scores of franchisees—including some of the largest multi-unit franchisees in the country—in growing and protecting their investments.
About
Ritchie knows too many lawyers like to overcomplicate matters. Clients hire Ritchie and his team to provide answers and creative solutions allowing business executives to stay focused on growing their businesses. Ritchie’s clients appreciate his results-oriented approach to the practice of law where he helps clients navigate the legal requirements to achieve their objectives.
He helps direct each client’s legal strategy to accomplish the client’s short and long-term business objectives. Ritchie’s business practice includes routinely advising management teams and boards of directors on sensitive corporate law matters as well as transaction structure and negotiations.
He guides clients through mission-critical transactions including equity and debt transactions as well as mergers and acquisitions. Ritchie and his team have conducted merger, acquisition, and joint venture transactions in almost all 50 states and internationally, with aggregate transaction value exceeding $3.5 billion.
In addition to his substantial experience in corporate and commercial transactions, Ritchie founded and leads the firm’s franchise practice where he serves as the primary franchise counsel to over 100 established and emerging franchise systems and dealer networks. He has decades of experience helping domestic and international franchisors design and grow their franchise systems with innovative, but compliant, franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements, area development agreements, and master franchise agreements. Ritchie’s clients benefit from his wealth of experience representing both sector leading franchisors as well as innovating emerging concepts.
Ritchie is a recognized thought leader in franchising across the Carolinas and nationally. He supports franchising through his active involvement in the International Franchise Association (“IFA”) as a long-time member of the IFA Membership and Legal/Legislative Committees. One of the first attorneys to receive the Certified Franchise Executive (“CFE”) designation awarded by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives (“ICFE”), Ritchie is a frequent presenter at IFA and other franchising events. For 6 years, Ritchie served on the IFA Supplier Forum’s Board of Directors and on ICFE’s Board of Governors, which develops the CFE curriculum as the premier training program for franchise executives.
Ritchie is also an active leader in the North Carolina business law community. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Business Law Section Council where he recently completed serving two terms as the Chair of the Business Law Section. Under his leadership, he directed the section through COVID, launched a hybrid continuing education program model, and lead the section’s government relations activities resulting in revisions to the North Carolina Business Corporations Act and Business Opportunity Act. Ritchie authored the revisions to the Business Opportunity Act, which are the first changes in 40 years to this statute regulating franchising. Previously, he served as the Council’s Vice Chair, Continuing Legal Education Committee Chair, and is the founding chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Committee on Franchising, which committee he has chaired for most of the last 15 years. For 15 years, Ritchie has been the course planner and taught continuing education programs on franchise law for other North Carolina attorneys. For over a decade, Ritchie and his team have been recognized by publications such as The Best Lawyers in America©, North Carolina Legal Elite, Franchise Times Legal Eagles, Whose Who in Franchise Law, and Entrepreneur magazine for their excellence in franchise and corporate law.
For over a decade, Ritchie has served on the firm’s management committee and currently serves as the firm’s Vice President.
Credentials
Education
- Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School– J.D. – 1999 –Cum Laude
- Brigham Young University Marriott School of Management – B.S. in Business Management, Finance Emphasis – 1996
Admitted to Practice
- North Carolina – 1999
- United States Tax Court – 2000
Professional Memberships & Activities
- Institute of Certified Franchise Executives
- Designated Certified Franchise Executive (CFE)
- Board of Governors
- Fran-GuardTM Certified Trainer
- Member of Advanced Franchise Education Task Force
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Business Law Section, Chair (2021 to 2023)
- Business Law Section, Vice Chair (2019 to 2021)
- Business Law Section, Continuing Legal Education Chair (2019-2021)
- Committee on Franchising, Chairman (2007-2019, 2023 to present)
- Business Law, Council Member (2007 to present)
- Business Law Curriculum Committee, Past Member
- Course Planner, Basics of Franchise Law Continuing Legal Education Course (2008 to present)
- International Law Section
- International Franchise Association
- Supplier Forum Board of Governors
- Legal and Legislative Committee
- Emerging Franchisor Task Force
- Membership Committee
- J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Raleigh-Durham Chapter, Past Chairman
- Recognized as North Carolina Lawyers’ Weekly Leader in the Law (2017)
- American Bar Association Forum on Franchising
Recognitions
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© in the areas of Business Organizations, Franchise Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) (2011-2027)
- Recognized by Business North Carolina “Legal Elite” for Business Law (2025)
- Recognized in Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) in Franchise Law (2023-2026)
- Recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine Top Franchise Supplier
- Listed in North Carolina Super Lawyers
- Rising Star in the area of Franchise/Dealership Law (2009-2011)
- Super Lawyer in the area of Franchise/Dealership Law (2018-2019, 2025-2026)
Prior Experience and Clerkships
- Prior to joining Manning Fulton, Ritchie served as a law clerk at the Student Loan Marketing Association (SALLIE-MAE)
Representative Transactions
Business Law
- Serves as US legal counsel to privately held foreign corporations based in Canada and Europe
- Advises clients on structuring and negotiating domestic and international joint venture transactions
- Lead counsel to Canadian company in establishing global footprint through complex joint venture transaction
- Represents both issuers and investors in venture capital transactions and private placement securities offerings
- Represented client in establishing a private equity fund focused on commercial real estate investment
- Represented clients in a variety of international business transactions
- Represents new businesses in selecting the correct business entity and in the formation of corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships and limited liability companies
Franchise Law
- Serves as legal counsel to over 100 franchise systems and dealer networks with domestic and international locations
- Represents clients in the development and structuring of franchise systems and in the preparation and renewal of franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements, area development agreements, and master franchise agreements
- Represents franchisors and franchisees in structuring international franchise arrangements
- Represents buyers and sellers in acquisition of franchisors, including franchise compliance due diligence
- Served as special counsel to private equity investors for franchise due diligence on acquisition and financing transactions
- Represents franchisors in resolving state enforcement actions for non-compliance with franchise laws
- Routinely represents prospective franchisees in acquiring the rights to develop a franchise location as well as the sale or purchase of existing franchise locations
- Works collaboratively with the firm’s litigation attorneys in resolving franchise disputes
- Assists franchisors in using the Internet to enhance their franchise systems
- Counsels franchisors on establishing state franchise advertising compliance programs. See video.
Mergers and Acquisitions
- Key member of acquisition team representing buyers and sellers in merger and acquisition transactions with individual transaction values exceeding $300,000,000
- Advises clients engaging in tax-free spin-offs, divestitures, and reorganizations of business units
- Represented managed hosting company in a $140 million sale to a private equity company
- Lead counsel in selling personal services company to strategic buyer for $44 million
- Represented consumer products company in sale to private equity firm
- Represented technology aggregator in sale of business for over $100 million to private equity firm
- Lead counsel in sale of pharmaceutical service company for $56 million in leveraged buyout transaction
- Lead counsel in sale of ESOP owned technology company to public acquirer
- Lead counsel to European company in purchase of private label manufacturing company with production facilities in Honduras and Nicaragua
- Lead counsel to European company acquiring US-based consumer goods company for $50 million
- Lead counsel to European company in divestiture of brands to purchasers based in United States and United Kingdom
- Represented multiple acquirers of franchise systems
- Represented client in corporate reorganization requiring mergers of over 1,000 corporations incorporated throughout the United States
- Served as lead counsel to Fleet Feet Sports in its acquisition by Investor’s Management Corporation, which deal was recognized by Franchise Times as one of the top 10 franchise M&A transactions in 2012. Click here to read more.
Product Distribution and Licensing Law
- Represents clients in intellectual property licensing and technology transfer transactions
- Represents clients in structuring domestic and international product distribution agreements
- Recently represented durable products company in negotiating exclusive licensing arrangement with Ralph Lauren
- Outside counsel to software company in licensing software to Fortune 500 companies including Wal-Mart, Costco, GlaxoSmithKline, AT&T and Walgreens
Related Presentations
Presentations
- Negotiating with Private Equity
- Proactive Use of a Franchisee Exit Strategy Program
- Franchising & Advertising: Achieving Maximum Effect with Minimum Risk
- The Ins and Outs of Contests and Sweepstakes
- Legal Aspects of Franchising
- Legal Considerations for Starting Your Business
- Franchise Law – Enforcing System Standards without Litigation
- How to Grow Your Business During Today’s Trying Times
- Franchise Legal Update
- Different Models for Franchise Growth – Broker Network, Area Representative, and Development Agent
- Protecting Future Value of Your Franchise System
- Best Practices in Dealing with Difficult Franchisees through Non-conformational Methods
- Franchise Development During a Credit Crunch
- Franchise Advertising Funds – What You Need To Know
- Franchising 101: Registration and Disclosure Issues
- Franchise Sales Under Revised FTC Franchise Rule
- Multi-Unit Expansion Franchisor/Franchisee Perspective
- Keys to Successful Franchise Relations
- Web Portals or Brokers – What Works Best?
- The New FTC Franchise Rule: Its Here! What do you Need to Know
- Multi-unit Franchising: Is It Right For You?
- Keys to Enforcing System Standards Before The Lawyers Get Involved
- Keys to Attracting Top Notch Franchisees To Your Franchise System
- Legal Considerations in Buying a Franchise
- Earnings Claims: Should I Make Them?
- The FTC Franchise Rule: What Do I Really Need To Know
- Overview of Proposed FTC Franchise Rule
- Buying and Selling a Business
Community Engagement
Occoneechee Council Boy Scouts of America
- Board of Directors
- Endowment Committee, Chairman
- Friends of Scouting Campaign Vice Chairman
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
- Volunteer missionary in Brazil (1991-1993)
- Assistant Scoutmaster and committee chair
- Various leadership positions in the church including Sunday School president and teacher, Elders Quorum president, and financial clerk, and ward clerk.